Specifications:Standard zoom lens with an Image Stabilizer and high zoom ratio. With the Image Stabilizer turned on, you can obtain sharp, natural-looking pictures in dim lighting without using flash or a tripod. Very handy for places where flash is prohibited. Uses ring-type USM for swift, silent autofocus and full-time manual focus. Closest focusing distance is 20 in. (50 cm).

I really like this lens. IS is really useful. I could handheld shoots as slow as 1/4s at 28mm or 1/10 at 135mm ! This is really good for low light places.

However, it is still a 3.5-5.6 lens, which is slow, and it does not "stop" action in low light and has not give a narrow dof.

Aug 10, 2005

cezarsOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 1, 2005Location: CanadaPosts: 137

Review Date: Jul 28, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

price/quality ratio; IS; versatile focal range

Cons:

average sharpness (definitely not an L lens); not wide enough

My expectations were quite high after reading a few reviews on the web. Maybe I expected a bit too much, but I don't find this zoom lens as precise as I would've wanted. However, it's still much better than the 18-55mm that came with my 300D in terms of build quality and sharpness.

IS works well but don't expect to shoot at ISO 100 at night at F/11.0 while having an exposure of 1/200th sec. In other words, don't expect miracles from IS

I had some great expectations for this lens but it just seems so, well... mediocre. Doesn't seem to do anything great, but also isn't terrible. This just is not one of Canon's better efforts.

The sharpness is acceptable but not compelling. The thing is LARGE and HEAVY for what it does. It is substantially larger and heavier than offerings from Sigma or Tamron. When its on a strap around your neck, the lens wants to flip the camera over (on a 350D). Not a great walk around lens - there are other better choices.

The lens is acceptably sharp, but nothing that leaps out at you or worth getting excited about.. You definitely need to post process the images unlike with my 70-200 F4L or my Sigma 18-50 f2.8.

My lens also has a tendency for some serious purple fringing along the edges and corners. By this I mean, 20-30% in from the edge not just right at the edge.

The glass is relatively slow but can do well in low light for still life shots because of the IS. I have had success hand holding at about 100mm at 1/8s for example. However, unless you are shooting still life this won't help you with motion blur and at those shutter speeds, the slightest, slowest motion leads to blur. So, I guess I would have been more excited about this if this had maybe been an f2.8 across at least part of the range for use with the IS. The IS does not make up for the fact that the glass is slow to begin with.

Anyhow, I think there are better choices out there for the money, unless of course, you don't object to mediocre. Knowing what I know now, I would have gotten something else instead or put the money towards the outstanding 70-200 F4L from canon or the 70-200 f2.8 from Sigma. This one in on my camera maybe 5% of the time.

A little soft and some CA when wide open (stop down a little) - but no worse than a 24-70L !.

I got this lens after reading lots of negative things and just a few positives.... then I saw some shots taken with it, and thought I would give it a try.

This lens works well, on my 300D, and 1D2, but alas, the 1Ds2 does show up some shortcomings. Nevertheless, this is a good walk around lens, coping with all but the really wide stuff (get the EF-S 10-22 for the extra wide stuff if your body is compatible).

This lens is perhaps a little on the soft side at 28mm / f3.5, but gets much better at f5.6 and f8. At 135mm f5.6 it's not too bad, but again, stop down a couple of notches and it's pretty good. This is where the IS helps, because you can survive the stopping down / slower shutter speeds, whereas on other glass without IS, you may get a little shake.

The IS is only single mode - ON or OFF (not mode 1 & 2 like some later glass), which means you can't use it when panning (normally mode 2 on newer glass), and you should also turn it off when on a Tripod. As stated in an earlier review, if you are looking to shoot moving targets, turn the IS off. Don't forget to turn it back on!

The zoom ring is smooth and large (and no zoom creep), but the manual focus ring is little narrow, and not always easy to find without having to take your eye of the subject and look around the body to figure out where it is. Eventually you get used to it....

There is the usual distance meter on the top which is lacking from most of the consumer lenses.

There is some chromatic aberration at 28mm when wide open and shooting trees against bright skies but this is mostly gone by f8.

I also bought the EW-78BII hood, which helps with flare on the 1.3 crop and FF bodies. I am not sure it made any difference on the 1.6 crop.

I should perhaps mention that I did all my tests WITHOUT a filter attached (it takes 72mm). I am using filters less and less, because I have noticed a drop in sharpness when using them. I tend to only attached them if it is raining etc, to give a little extra weather protection.

It goes without saying that it is not as sharp as the 50 f1/8, 85 f1.8 or 135L f2 primes, BUT as an all day walk about "with only one lens", especially on a 1.6 crop, it does a very decent job.

Giving marks is always difficult, because it all depends what you are used to, and what you are comparing it with!

So, as for marks, overall I gave it an 8, because for the price it is a good buy (at least mine was! YMMV!). Build quality I gave an 8, because it feels reasonably sturdy. It was not lose at all. Price, again and 8 because with IS, and stopped down a little, I think this is a good comprimise walk about lens.

I purchased this lens 4 months ago, with the intention of using it as my standard lens for taking shots at motorsport events. I am an events photographer and my day is generally spent 10 yards from the track, taking one "head on" shot at 135mm and then zooming back for the "side on" shot as the car comes past at 28mm.
The head on shot always seems to work fine, but when panning the IS just gets it wrong! about 10% of the time it just vibrates like crazy trying to stabilize and this causes me to miss critical shots.

People want to buy my photos straight away and having to tell them I have missed them is really hard...so most of my shots are now taken with the IS turned off and the ISO notched up on my 300D's. This is a shame because otherwise it is a good lens at a fairly good price.

I would recomend you get one if you do not intend to use it for fast moving objects. The IS works great in low light when pointed at stationary objects.

Jul 4, 2005

EvilZardozOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 16, 2005Location: AustraliaPosts: 348

Review Date: Jun 23, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7

Pros:

Light and very versatile focal length. Ring USM is nice and fast for a non-L lens. Has first-generation IS - a must have for handheld photography in lower light if on a budget.

Cons:

Terrible vignetting on full-frame bodies (1Ds Mark II) even at f/8. Not very fast at 135mm. Contrast is a little lacking. IS doesn't support panning.

This lens uses Canon's first generation IS. Don't try and use it for panning or it'll misbehave. It's very easy to get used to this lens and then throw on the 50 f1.8 and think you'll get a crisp shot at 1/30th ignoring the absence of IS.

Vignetting is terrible on a full frame body but barely noticable even when wide open on a 300D. You may wish to buy the optional lens hood for this baby as it will make a difference.

I can definitely see why this lens is so popular, but don't consider it for a high end body.

Jun 23, 2005

blue_miloOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jun 15, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 20

Review Date: Jun 19, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $409.00
| Rating: 8

Pros:

is,usm, nice focal range, good price for its quality, light to carry around,

Cons:

IS is only useful in non moving subject, large filter size, IS makes humming sound, not wide enough at 28,

first thing i notice, makes a humming noise when the IS is on, hunt sometimes.. but on my own opinion it is a must have lense for a non L buyers.. good focal ranges, maybe a lil soft on the wide side. nice zoom range at 135.

Wish there was faster apertures than F/5.6 and full telephoto, need to stop down for optimal sharpness, large filter size 72mm.

Like many others here, this popular lens finds itself into the camera bags of many Canon EOS owners.

The best thing about this lens is the focal range. At 28-135mm, it is by far the most flexible lens I own. On a APS-C dSLR with 1.6X cropping factor, the length is more like 45-216mm.

Optically the lens is fine. Photos taken with this lens are relatively sharp and have good contrast, black seem just a tad darker and the whites just a bit brighter. Edge sharpness, a major concern for lenses is quite acceptable, probably because this is an EF lens on a 1.6X cropping factor camera (Rebel XT/350D).

Despite the inclusion of Canon's Image Stabilization (IS), I do wish this lens had faster apertures. IS is great for stabilizing hand held shots, but does nothing for freezing action. Still, IS is a welcome feature that truly impresses. For instance, I was able to shoot at a shutter of 1/10 second at a full 135mm focal length and still get away with a pretty clean shot.

Build quality is good and the lens is not too heavy. It is about the same size as the popular EF 17-40L lens and slightly larger than the comparable EF-S 17-85 IS lens. The zoom and focus rings are rubberized and have a nice smooth feel to them when you twist them. The end of the lens extends as you zoom, but the front element does not rotate, facilitating easier use of a circular polarizer if you use one.

USM is fast, quiet, and fairly reliable so far. IS makes a low humming noise when it is activated.

The filter size is 72mm, so they are quite pricey. The lens hood is also large but can be reversed for storage. Unfortunately the lens hood is not included.

Compared to the EF-S 17-85 IS lens, this lens seemed like a better deal. At the time I was shopping for it, it was a good deal cheaper. With the 1.6X cropping factor, this lens gives me far more reach than the EF-S 17-85 IS, but the 28mm wide end is quite narrow and does not serve as a wide angle lens (I have a separate wide angle).

Images lack that x factor. Hood is separate option. USM was a tad noisy on mine, but this may not be typical.

May 5, 2005

RCicalaOfflineBuy and Sell: On

Registered: Jan 8, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 3122

Review Date: Apr 24, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7

Pros:

Nice size, great price for IS, good range

Cons:

Has to be stopped down for sharpness

I used this lens frequently for a year. Its a nice walkaround, good range (althugh something wider is nice) good color, adequate sharpness once its stopped down. And the IS is really useful on a walkaround. I moved to the Tamron 28-75 though, which is just better, albeit not quite as long. However, I kept the 28-135 as a travel lens when I'm only taking one lens and might want a bit more length.

Apr 24, 2005

Kevin PratesOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Apr 14, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 6

Review Date: Apr 20, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $390.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Nice Range and Sharpness when openned up.

Cons:

Not so good on the wide angle with 20D, but great if you have the Sigma 12-24 to cover you on that end.

Great lens for the price. IS is great for low light situations. Nice big 72mm.

My sense is that folks reaction to this lens has much to do with their experience with other lenses. While this lens is much better than many of Canon's offerings, it suffers in comparison with Canon and third party lenses that exhibit fine sharpness.

This was the first lens I bought after purchasing a 300D with the kit lens last summer. It took me some time to get the most out of the lens and eventually I was happy with the images I captured. At that time I was using the kit lens, as well as an EF100-300 mm loaned by a friend. In comparison with those alternatives, the 28-135 was by far my favorite. THEN I took advantage of Canon's rebate program last December and purchased two L lenses. The moment I saw the images produced by the 70-200 f4L I was lost! It is wonderfully sharp. The 28-135 lost its lustre when I discovered what a sharp lens can do. That motivated me to search for an alternative to this lens that could bridge the gap between the two L lenses. As my profile notes, my choice was the Tamron AF28-75 f2.8 Di LD. This lens lives up to its reputation and I am more than happy with this trio. Thanks to all the folks at FM whose reviews helped me make that decision!

The 28-135 gave me fine service for six months, but it will likely be passed along to someone else in the future. It is a good, not great lens.

Mar 20, 2005

PantheraOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Feb 20, 2005Location: BelgiumPosts: 0

Review Date: Feb 20, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Much lens for the money. Nice zoom range. Very sharp stopped down, very natural color-produce.

Cons:

Little soft wide open.

This is a very nice walk around lens. When set to more then f8 it is very sharp which makes it a good lens for landscapes. For close-up, when you pull the aperture wide open it is little soft, but no big deal. Colors are very natural. Nice zoom range on 300D.

No lens flare, even when shooting right into the sun. IS is really comfortable. Even with ISO set to 100 (which makes shutterspeed longer) I get some very sharp pics out of this one.

Feb 20, 2005

coreypolisOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Oct 30, 2004Location: United StatesPosts: 1755

Review Date: Feb 18, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $409.00
| Rating: 6

Pros:

Nice zoom range, faily leight weight for having IS and 72mm filter size

Cons:

Slow, foor focusing, not sharp

I expected more from this lens, maybe its a bad copy, but was disappointed. The IS is nice, but even in daylight on a tripod its hard to get a real sharp image. Its a good zoom range though for carrying around

Feb 18, 2005

BlueEyesPhotoOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jan 25, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 461

Review Date: Feb 9, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $380.00
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Good range, especially for a digital camera, IS, fast focus, very silent.

Cons:

Zoom barrel sticks after a while, mostly plastic.

For the price I paid, I have NO regrets about this lens at all. It's a great starter zoom, as it has a decent range while being very affordable. If I had to start all over again, I would still buy this lens to build my way up. If you can afford L glass though, I would consider the L first, but this gives you a good overall zoom range and good quality.

As far as the barrel sticking, it seems that either from wear or nature, the zoom barrel sticks occasionally, and It may just be mine.

Oh, and thank the Canon Gods for IS.

Feb 9, 2005

Photo_lcOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jan 4, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 4

Review Date: Feb 3, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $375.00
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Very useful zoom range; Better contrast than other Canon consumer zooms; Very sharp around f/8; IS is useful; USM quietness.

Cons:

Not sharp wide open or even 1 top down.

I do have mixed feeling about this lens. Overall it is an very good lens. It is better than 28-105mm, and all Canon's consumer zooms with "F/3.5-4.5" or worse max aperture. To this sense, its price setting is at the right ranking, but could be cheaper. All USM zooms are over-priced compare to, say, Minolta's zooms.

However, this one used to be my work horse for 10D. It does have a very useful zoom range. The IS feature is very useful at low light situations for relatively still objects. (For fast moving objects, the IS is useless!) It did deliver very contrast pictures and the sharpness is excellent at around f/8. The reason I sold this one and bought a new Tamron 28-75mm Di zoom is that its sharpness is not good at wide open or even 1 stop down. I always doubt my shooting technics. However, when I calmed down and did some on-the-tripod test, I realized that this lens does not deliver sharp images at large apertures. The result is actually good for 4X6 pictures. But with digital post-image editing for digital SLR's, the sharpness does not meet my needs. The Tamron's 28-75mm does deliver extremely sharp images (although the color and contrast do not exceed 28-135mm's). The f/2.8 constant aperture almost offset its non-IS disadvantage. So, 28-75mm is a better choice to me! By the way, it is cheaper than 28-135 zoom!

So my suggestion is that if you don't enlarge your pictures or like to view your digital photos at 100% view, this is your excellent work horse! But, if you care about the sharpness, pick Tamron 28-75mm. I think it performs 95% as well as Canon's 24-70mm L. If you don't believe me, buy both and sell the one you don't want on Ebay for almost same price you pay for a new one!